Breaking Through To You
by tin2lo
Summary: A series of one shots I wrote about Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough from Dancing With the Stars All Stars. All of these stories are on my tumblr and now they're here too.
1. One More Broken Rule

**Summary: Shawn and Derek were told they had to dance their week 3 Quickstep in the finals. But they've been known to break the rules all season, so what if the last rule they broke meant not dancing their Quickstep, but the dance they originally wanted? A "what if" story based on the rumor that they originally wanted to dance their fusion dance during finals.**

**A/N – I'm not quite sure what compelled me to write this but it was a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone. Normally my policy is that I'll read fanfics based on real people, but I won't write it. But I'd like to think that the events of this fictional story wouldn't be too far from the truth…I gave myself permission to do it.**

**This plot bunny came to me after I finished watching the AfterBuzz TV break downs of the Season 15 episodes. The hosts Kristyn Burtt and Suri Serano voiced everything I felt about that season. Check it out on YouTube.**

**Disclaimer: The show, "Dancing With The Stars," belongs to ABC and BBC entertainment. AfterBuzz TV belongs to Bing and Maria Menounos. I do not own anything other than the storyline.**

**Dedication: For my tumblr buddy, chelsie-mae. You're a sweetheart **

"Alright, before we continue discussing Dancing With the Stars Season 15 All Stars, we just wanted to remind you that if you're listening to our podcast on iTunes or watching us live or on YouTube, I'm Kristyn Burtt with my co-host, Suri Serano, and this is AfterBuzz TV. Please be sure to give us five stars because we'd love to be a five star show as well as give us feedback on how to improve and what guests you'd want to see in future episodes."

Suri let out a smile and a laugh. "Yes, thank you so much for the awesome feedback so far and thanks for watching."

Kristyn took over once more. "Alright so let's continue discussing the Dancing With The Stars All Star semi-finals with our guest today, troupe dancer Henry Byalikov. Henry thanks again."

In his accented voice, Henry replied with a "no problem" and a "thanks for having me."

"So let's get back to the semi-finals. We have just finished discussing the first half which was the themed dances. Next section is probably going to be my favorite because I am a huge Michael Jackson fan. I love how it was the perfect tie-in to the ABC special which is happening on Thanksgiving Day which I have tvoed."

Suri and Henry just laughed at Kristyn's enthusiasm before Suri spoke. "Who doesn't love Michael Jackson, or at least appreciate his music?" Henry nodded his head in agreement.

"Ok, for the first Michael Jackson dance, we had Melissa and Tony doing 'Dirty Diana' and the tango. Wow."

Kristyn looked at the other two to see who wanted to kick off the conversation. Everyone basically agreed that it was an amazing dance. It was passionate and well done. Henry only had good things to say and couldn't stop raving about this particular dance. Melissa was a good dancer and extremely likeable. Since Sabrina and Louis were voted off, Kristyn had been routing for them to win.

After a couple more raves on Melissa and Tony, Kristyn moved the conversation to the next couple. "So we move on to Suri's favorite, Shawn and Derek, to 'Bad' and they did the Tango."

Suri was excited when they started talking about Shawn and Derek. Like with Melissa and Tony, the three of them only had good things to say about the dance. Suri and Henry argued Carrie Ann's point about Shawn not showing enough passion during the dance. Suri pointed out the point Kym Johnson and Shirley Ballas made backstage show night, that Derek had the ability to bring that out of Shawn so it was possible that he choreographed her emotions in that particular way. Henry also added that Derek had his creativity limited. Due to copyrighted issues, Derek couldn't have the Knight Rider car or even put in Michael Jackson moves to a Michael Jackson tribute dance. It was tough on them, but they still managed to nail both dances.

Although both Henry and Suri defended Shawn and Derek's choice of the amount of chemistry and emotion in the dance, Kristyn couldn't help but agree with Carrie Ann's reason in giving Shawn a nine for the dance. "I just thought it was a _little_ too posed. I just wanted a touch more emotion. And I don't disagree with the score of 29 at all by any means but I do kind of side with Carrie on this."

Henry just shrugged his shoulders. "Well they're in the finals so you're gonna probably see it." Henry smiled and laughed. "You're gonna see a lot more chemistry, I'm sure." Henry continued to laugh.

Kristyn was a little surprised at the way he said it. "Oh my God. Do you know it? Is that their favorite dance that they picked?"

Henry gave her a mischievous look. "That's all I can say…" Henry pursed his lips giving Suri and Kristyn a look that said "I know something you don't know." So far, Henry was the only one Shawn and Derek had told their decision to so to spill it would mean to sign his death sentence.

Kristyn was so excited at the new information. "I think we just got an AfterBuzz exclusive!" Kristyn asked if Henry knew if Melissa and Tony chose a Tango as well but he genuinely did not know the answer. For the next twenty or so minutes, the three of them continued discussing the rest of the dances by the other contestants.

"So it is an all ladies finale and they'll be doing their favorite dances and they'll be doing freestyles. We already think that perhaps someone is doing a Tango…_Shawn…_maybe…and we'll see what the other two will pick but we'll have to wait until next week._"_ Kristyn just shrugged her shoulders as Henry and Suri laughed.

"It's gonna be so good." For the rest of the show the three of them talked about the troupe and future musings and predictions. All throughout the rest of the show, Henry couldn't help but think how amazing next week was going to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Next Day

Henry had come early to the dance studio in order to work on the troupe dance only to walk in on Shawn and Derek doing one of their packages for the finale.

"For our favorite dance, we decided to do our week 7 Tango/Paso fusion. It's a definite crowd pleaser as well as a judge pleaser and, as much as I love Mark, I really wanted to be able to finally dance it with Derek." Both Shawn and Derek were sitting on the stairs as the cameras were on them videotaping their explanation for their dance.

Derek added to what she had to say. "I was a little surprised when she told me this was the dance she wanted to do. I half expected the Quickstep or Mambo, or even the Rumba because I know how much she loved those dances. I was really surprised but I was also really touched when she told me that the real reason she wanted to do this dance was because she didn't originally get to dance it with me." Derek, whose arm was draped across Shawn's shoulders, squeezed her in a little side hug as she smiled up at him. "It's also great because the Tango and the Paso are two of my favorite dances anyway and this was a fun dance that both the audience and judges loved."

Shawn spoke again. "I know people are expecting we do a dance that we didn't get a perfect score on so that we could improve it but honestly, I'd much rather please the crowds anyway since we dedicated this season to the fans. Judges' scores are important but the fans are what it's all about so even if we get a lower score than last time, at least we finally got to dance this one together."

Henry stayed at the door and watched the two of them dance for the rest of the package. It was truly amazing to watch the two of them. Shawn danced like a pro and Derek looked happier than he'd ever been compared to other partners he's had.

When the cameras shut off and the two thanked the camera men and left, Derek took Shawn's hand and led her to the stairs to cool off. Henry decided to finally make his entrance. "That was a pretty amazing dance. It's even better than the first time around."

The couple looked up and greeted the troupe dancer. "Hey Henry!" Shawn loved getting to know all the dancers. Everyone on the Dancing With the Stars set were practically family. Henry walked up to them and bent down to hug Shawn. While his arms were around her waist, she put her arms around his neck and he lifted her up off the ground and placed a kiss on her head – the standard form of greeting her from her 'honorary big brothers.' Because she was the youngest, and arguably the sweetest of the group, the guys of the troupe and cast all treated her like a little sister who they protected and cared for…minus the guy sitting next to her.

When he put her back down, he fist bumped Derek and they started talking about the finals, how things were going, what they were doing later in the day and what they were doing after the show ended. After a little bit more talk and Shawn and Derek showing part of their freestyle to him, Shawn told them she needed to get back home.

The boys stood up as she got up as well. Derek bent back down to grab her bag for her. "Don't forget, Jules is flying in today, so you're having dinner at my place."

She took her bag from him. "Thanks. Wouldn't miss it for the world." She smiled at him and gave him a hug before turning to Henry and giving him one as well.

Henry and Derek talked a little bit longer after Shawn left but as they were about to leave, were interrupted by someone official looking. The man gestured at Derek to speak with him alone. Derek and Henry exchanged weird looks but afterwards, went separate ways. Neither of them had a very good feeling about what was about to happen next.

At Derek's place

Shawn had made it to Derek's before Derek did, which she found odd, but put the thought aside when she was greeted by Julianne who had already started making dinner. The two girls had a lot of catching up to do. They talked about Shawn and Derek making it to the finals, Julianne getting through Hurricane Sandy, the Fierce Five being part of their freestyle and how they had only two days to learn the dance and rehearse, and anything and everything else while preparing the rest of the dinner. It wasn't long until a loud slamming of the door brought them out of their nice conversation. Both girls looked at each other confused and quickly walked into the living room area to find Derek leaning back into the couch, head tilted back, with his hands on his face.

Both girls immediately went to either side of him. Julianne was rubbing her hand up and down his arm trying to soothe him. "Derek, what happened?"

Derek abruptly stood up and started pacing. "A producer pulled me aside today." Shawn and Julianne both gave him worried looks. "Apparently, we're not allowed to do our tango/paso fusion."

The worried looks on both of the girls' faces immediately went to one of shock. Shawn had been telling Julianne that that was the dance that they had chosen to repeat. They both yelled at the same time. "What?!"

Derek just nodded and kept pacing. "Yeah…apparently, everyone else is going to dance their week three dance. Which means we have to as well." He stopped pacing to seriously face them. "And get this…we're not allowed to change _any _of it."

Realization began to dawn on both girls' faces. Julianne expressed her outrage before Shawn could. "That means your scores will get low balled! That's fifty percent of the total. Too many points off could really hurt you!" Derek gave her a look that said "see why I'm mad?"

Shawn reached out and grabbed Derek's hand, pulling him over to the couch to try and get him to sit. "Derek, just calm down. We said this season that we would dedicate our dances to the fans. Who cares about the scores? Our quickstep is fun and a great crowd pleaser."

She was almost able to pull him over to the catch but he quickly snatched his hand away and continued pacing. "I know we said we'd dedicate this season to the fans. I love our quickstep. The scores that we're going to get for doing it isn't what I'm angry about. I'm angry that the producers know what they're doing. They _want_ us to lose. They're rigging this competition so that we don't win this season."

Shawn knew it was possible but didn't want to believe him. "Asking us to change our dance is one thing, plotting our demise is another. They wouldn't actually make us lose, would they?"

"But that's the thing. They didn't ask me to change our dance. They _ordered _me to. We _have_ to dance our quickstep and to change it would mean serious consequences."

Shawn looked at Julianne to try and beg her to talk some sense into her brother. She gave Julianne a pleading look asking her "it can't be true, can it?"

Julianne, although not present at the live shows, watched every episode this season despite her busy schedule when she found out her brother had Shawn Johnson as a partner. She looked at Shawn sympathetically. "To be honest, I don't think Derek is wrong." Shawn gave Julianne an incredulous look but Julianne continued. "Shawn, if you think about it, they've been low balling your scores all season compared to everyone else's. I mean, the only criticism Len could give you during country week was that you used too many gimmicks. But it's not like the tractor or cow was actually part of the dance. Or your samba. Was taking three whole points off really necessary? There was plenty of samba and you brought it back to its roots rather than going the traditional route. And in that same week, Kirstie's dance was definitely not the greatest of her dances and it got no less than an eight. I honestly don't think the producers or the judges are on your side. I actually think they're showing favoritism towards Melissa."

Derek thought over everything Julianne had said. He suspected that someone was trying to bring them down, but to hear it from someone not on the show anymore, solidified everything he believed. He sat back down on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair as Julianne rubbed his back in comfort. "I guess we'll just have to hope the fans pull through for us."

Julianne put one arm around his shoulders and rested her head on his shoulder as she continued rubbing his arm. "Honestly Derek, if they don't want you to win, what makes you think they won't rig the voting system?"

Derek sighed deeply knowing she was right. "We don't stand a chance, do we?" Julianne didn't answer but she didn't really need to.

After being silent for so long, Shawn finally spoke up. "Well maybe we don't have to do what the producers say."

Both Houghs looked at her as though she was crazy. "What are you trying to say? That we just dance our fusion dance? Shawn, we can't just defy the producers' orders. We could get into some serious trouble."

"What can they really do to us? The season is practically over. Once we perform, that's it, there's nothing that the producers can do about it." Derek and Julianne were still trying to grasp what Shawn was saying. "We'll make our entrance in our quickstep outfit, convince the tech crew to play our fusion package, and change last minute before the producers notice anything out of the ordinary."

Julianne looked at her with a surprised, yet highly impressed, look. "That might actually work."

Derek thought so too. "But we could still get into some major trouble."

"Derek what are they gonna do to us? This is your last season on the show anyway so it's not like they can get back at you next season. And everyone in the dancing community knows how amazing you are, there is no way possible a reality tv show can possibly blacklist you in the ballroom society. And even if they did try to take us down it'll cause questions to arise and we'll have to tell everyone the truth - that the producers tried to manipulate what we do to get us to lose. And when that gets out, who's gonna want to watch the show?"

Julianne looked at Shawn amazed and then back at her brother. "I think she's right. You should totally do it. Dang, who knew America's sweetheart had a dark side?" The three of them let out a chuckle. Derek was still on edge about it and Julianne saw it in his face. "Derek, trust me on this. I know for a fact that you guys are the favorite to win. If you two do the quickstep and lose, then there will be suspicions but the producers will just play it off as your low scores being the reason for your loss. But if you do the fusion and either tie or get higher scores and still lose, then there will be suspicions and conspiracy theories. There's gonna be an investigation and who knows what'll happen to the show."

Shawn grabbed his hand in a comforting grasp looking him in the eye. "Normally I wouldn't care. This season has been amazing and you've helped me to feel like me again. It doesn't matter if we win the Mirror Ball trophy or not, you've given me so much more." Derek smiled at that and gave her a kiss on the cheek. As he pulled away, she continued. "But we can't just ignore the injustice that goes behind closed doors. If we're gonna lose, I want it to be for the right reasons. Not because the producers chose us as the losers, but because America did. And who's to say they won't do it again next season."

Shawn stood up from the couch and held her hand out for him to take. "Whataya say, Derek Hough? Care to take a risk and break one more rule with me this season?"

Derek looked at Julianne who gave him an encouraging smile. He looked back at Shawn and smiled as he grabbed her hand. "I love dancing with you. Do you love dancing with me?"

She smiled and giggled in her trademark Shawn Johnson giggle. "I love dancing with you."

Derek stood up and kissed her hand. "Then let's dance together."

They couldn't believe they were actually going to go through with it.

Dancing With The Stars: All Stars Finale Night 1

Shawn and Derek were both dressed up in their quickstep outfits. Derek, like Julianne, also believed that producer/judge favoritism was leaning towards Melissa who seemed to be the only one excited to dance their week three dance. He couldn't help but wonder whether or not Val and Kelly were told the same thing he was about their dance. But then again, Kelly and Val's Paso Doble wasn't an insane rule breaking dance. Derek tried to shake his head of the thoughts and focused on their entrance.

He was still a little skeptical as to whether or not they'd be able to pull of their plan and whether or not it was the right thing to do. But when he heard the crowds cheering for them, he knew that what he and Shawn were about to do was right. The crowds knew who they wanted to be crowned the champion of champions (not necessarily Shawn and Derek) and no producer was going to squish their rights by picking for them – this season or any future seasons.

Neither Shawn nor Derek tried to think of how badly this could all end if they messed anything up. They instead, thought of the dances ahead of them and tried to remind each other to just have fun no matter what dance they were forced to do for round one. Shawn and Derek would be performing last so while Melissa and Tony were getting their scores (perfect 30, no surprise there) for their repeated Samba, Derek and Shawn had to prepare for their dance. No one suspected anything when Shawn left for the dressing room rather than waiting stage right or Derek heading for the tech room.

It took a little convincing, but Derek managed to convince the techies (who didn't know about the producers' intent) that there was a technical difficulty and that there was no way they could perform their quickstep. Because of this, they'd have to dance their "back-up" dance. As soon as the techies loaded the disk of the "right package," Derek waited as the video technicians relayed the message via headset to the lighting technicians and then again to the band so that Harold could tell the band of the song change. The night before, Shawn and Derek had personally emailed Harold warning him that in case anything happened, they wanted to be prepared so he should probably have the band equipped with their "back-up" song (Living On A Prayer) for their "back-up" dance (tango/paso fusion). Harold, who loved both Shawn and Derek and didn't want to screw up their chances of winning because of a technical difficulty, agreed to have the band prepared to play either of the songs for whatever dance they needed to dance. Finally, the video technicians made sure that they knew which camera angles to use for the people watching at home considering camera shots were different for each dance.

Derek quickly ran for the dressing room and immediately changed into his fusion costume and stood by Shawn (who was now also dressed in her fusion costume). He grabbed her hand and squeezed it out of both comfort and nervousness. The two stood in the dark to prevent anyone (especially the producers) from seeing them and waited with bated breath to see if they had succeeded in changing their dance. When the fusion dance package played, both blondes let out a deep sigh of relief. They tood center stage and prepared themselves.

They waited until they finally heard the one sentence they were waiting for. "Dancing a Tango/Paso Doble fusion, Shawn Johnson and her partner Derek Hough."

Derek and Shawn gave each other a small smile before getting into character for the dance. As the band started up the music, the two were lost in the dance and in each other. As much as she loved dancing with Mark again, something about doing this with Derek felst so right. So much so that she didn't even care how much trouble the producers would put her in. she wouldn't change this for anything or anyone. Derek was also thinking the same thing as they danced. He immediately regretted not fighting through the pain and dancing it with her the first time. The two of them were having fun finally being able to dance this particular dance with each other as well as the crowd was going wild though Shawn and Derek tuned all of it out.

When their dance finally ended and they struck the final pose, Shawn and Derek couldn't help but think that despite what was about to happen next, they made the right choice in doing what they had done. They stood up to see a standing ovation from the audience as well as the judges. They couldn't have been more proud for each other.

Carrie Ann gave her review first. "Oh my God, Shawn, you have come such a long way since the first week. I know you said you didn't care what score you as long as you danced it with Derek, but girlfriend, lemme tell you…you delivered this so much _better_ than the first time around. As always your technique is impeccable but what I noticed is how much passion you managed to exude compared to the first time. It was absolutely amazing. Great job!"

Derek wrapped his arms around Shawn's waist and squeezed her letting out a sigh of relief. Even Len and Bruno only had good things to say about the dance, mainly at how much better it was because of the emotional connection Shawn was able to show towards Derek.

When they got to the Skybox, they exchanged high fives with the other two couples and answered the usual questions with Brooke before finally getting their scores.

In all the excitement of planning their switched dances and fighting injustice, the couple completely forgot about scores. They could not have been happier knowing that they still received a perfect thirty to tie them for the lead with Melissa and Tony. It wasn't even their intent.

After they received their scores, the show cut to a commercial while the three couples were escorted to make up and dressing trailers to prepare them for the freestyles. Shawn and Derek made sure they were never alone so that a producer wouldn't try and set them aside for a talk. It's not like the producers could do anything about it anymore. What's done is done. The dance happened and nothing was going to change it or the scores that were now broadcasted live to America – at least not if they wanted the show to continue running smoothly. Even so, neither Shawn nor Derek wanted to have a producer confront them and ruin their good mood before they'd have to dance their freestyle.

They decided to put everything about their first dance behind them and just focus on the freestyle they were doing with the Fierce Five. And it was a good thing they did too because their amazing and daring freestyle gave them another perfect thirty – still giving the a tie for the lead. But they didn't really care about the outcome. That freestyle was just too dang fun plus the crowd freaking out about it only pumped them up more. Whatever happened tomorrow with their instant dance didn't matter yet. All that mattered was the dances they did today and how they didn't regret anything because they knew they gave their all and left it all on the dance floor. It was in America's hands now.

The Next Day

Shawn and Derek didn't know whether or not to be worried. They were still a little tired form late night dancing in preparation for their instant dance plus the emotions from knowing it was their final dance together caused them to very little sleep. But when they got to the studio the next day, they still hadn't been approached by a producer and that worried them a bit. Why haven't they been told off yet?

They tried not to think about it as they prepared for the results show. Instead, they greeted their old cast mates and pros, watched their rehearsals, and went over the instant dance styles one more time before showtime. As the two of them exited make up and wardrobe, they were approached by one of the producers. Shawn instinctively grabbed Derek's hand causing him to squeeze it comfortingly. When the producer approached them, he gave a mischievous smile before speaking. "The other producers and I wanted to congratulate you on your performances last night." The couple was a little wary but thanked him no less. "We also wanted to wish you luck on your instant dance tonight." And with a final smirk, he left them to contemplate what he said.

Shawn looked up at Derek who was still staring in the direction the producer had left. "What do you think he meant by that?"

Derek looked down at her. "I think we both know what he meant."

Shawn nodded her head. "Yeah…"

Derek looked back at where the producer had exited. "We probably shouldn't have voiced how much we didn't want the cha cha."

Shawn let out a sigh. "Yeah, probably."

No surprise, when it finally came time to pick dance styles and music, Melissa and Tony got the samba (the exact same dance style as the night before) while Shawn and Derek got the cha cha.

Derek tried to refrain from rolling his eyes. The set up was getting way to obvious at this point. Melissa and tony getting the exact same dance style as the night before? Really? And it happened to be the "broken ball" in the basket? That couldn't have been a coincidence. That had to have been a set up. Derek didn't have to roll his eyes because Julianne in the audience who also saw the obviousness, did it for him.

Knowing what the producers hinted at that morning, Shawn and Derek just resigned to the fate they had been condemned to and decided to just spend the hour working on a kick ass cha cha to prove to the producers they could handle anything thrown at them.

While the couples were working and the ballroom was enjoying the rest of the entertainment provided that night, the producers held their own mini meeting discussing how their original plan was failing tremendously because of the one couple they tried to bring down.

One of the senior producers stood up and began speaking. "Are you sure there's no other way to manipulate the votes a little?"

"No there isn't. Legally we're not even supposed to touch the results of the viewer's votes. We did try to bring down the server to reduce the number of votes as well as change the phone number for a short period of time to send some of Shawn's votes to Melissa, but that still wasn't enough. Melissa may have a pity vote but her fanbase just couldn't complete against an Olympian's."

The senior producer ran a hand through her hair. "What about the instant dances? Can we use those to change the winner?"

"Honestly, it's already over. America already knows who won and if we tell them otherwise, they'll know something is up."

"No, it's not over yet. How about this, if Shawn bombs the instant dance, we'll change the winner. The votes were so close, that the final score determines the winner. That'll be our explanation."

The other producers looked at each other. It was true that none of the finalists wanted the cha cha, especially Shawn and Derek. They still had a chance.

Unfortunately for the producers, what the couple produced from that hour of rehearsal definitely made a statement. They became the only perfect scoring instant dance putting them in first place with a score of a perfect 90. If America didn't know who the real winners were before, they definitely knew now.

The producers watched the dance and the scores and only had one thing on their minds. "Shit."

Shawn and Derek had put their hearts, souls, bodies, and everything they had in them into that season. They broke rules, pleased the crowds, and defied their superiors. They woke up old injuries but developed new feelings. They brought out the best in each other. Because of all of that, neither of them really cared about the couple Tom would call out as the winners. All the work they put into the previous night wasn't about making sure they won the trophy. It was about teaching the producers a lesson in morality. But a Mirror Ball to cap off the redemption both of them wanted (Shawn for her Olympic comeback and Derek for not being able to break away from the show let alone win since season 11) would definitely be the perfect ending to the best season they could've asked for.

Shawn had her arm around Derek's waist while he had his around her shoulders, their left hands intertwined. Though they didn't care for the trophy, deep down the competitive part of them still did…a lot. They were both nervous and held each other tight as Tom started speaking.

"And now, after ten long hard fought weeks of competition, we can finally crown our champion of champions. The winner of Dancing With The Stars: All Stars is…"

A pregnant pause. Melissa was biting her lip in anticipation while Tony squeezed her hands. Shawn and Derek kept solemn faces but held tight to each other. They could deny it all they want, but when it came down to it, all four of them were heavily competitive and all four of them wanted that Mirror Ball Trophy.

"…Shawn and Derek."

The crowd went wild as Shawn and Derek let go of each other to put their hands over their mouths in disbelief. They couldn't believe they just won the All Star season. Derek immediately grabbed Shawn in a tight hug and lifted her off the ground, not planning on letting go anytime soon.

When Melissa and Tony heard the news, they bowed their heads in sadness but immediately picked themselves up again to congratulate and be happy for Shawn and Derek. Tom and Brooke were still speaking above the cheering crowd but were practically drowned out by the excitement and the other contestants running up to hug and congratulate the winners as Shawn and Derek held the trophy together above their heads. Derek even jokingly squatted down a bit so that he was level with Shawn to hold up the trophy. Soon Derek was lifted up onto Mark's shoulders as the same was done to Shawn by Apollo.

As they were on their friends' shoulders, Shawn Held onto the Mirror Ball Trophy and looked at Derek as she reached for him. He grabbed her hand and kissed it as he mouthed the words "thank you" to her.

She was the light and the spark that gave him back his confidence and he was the one who helped her feel like herself again. Though the season was over, they won so much more than a trophy or a title. They won each other.

Dancing With The Stars Season 16 Finale

"Hello everyone. I'm Suri Serano from AfterBuzz TV network and I am here at the Dancing With The Stars Season 16 Finale. " She turned around to show the camera just what was going on behind her. "Just a few moments ago, a new champion was crowned as well as a certain pro won his very first trophy. As you can see behind me, people are still celebrating the epic win."

Suri tried to maneuver around people. "We're gonna interview the winning couple in just a little while but first let's get some feedback from some of the famous faces in the audience this night."

Suri kept walking until she found someone interesting. She managed to find a couple of people, including a couple of the pros and contestants. As she moved, she finally came to a couple that she really wanted to interview. "Oh my God, look who we have here. Season 15 winners, Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough! Hey guys, what's up?"

They both smiled at her and waved into the camera. "Hey Suri!"

Suri looked back at the camera. "As you may know, these two won the _All Star _season making Shawn the first ever celeb with two mirror balls and Derek double that many before officially leaving the show. Anyway, we at AfterBuzz TV know that both of you have been super busy. How does it feel to be back at the Dancing With The Stars studios?"

Derek smiled at Shawn and then back Suri. "It's definitely an amazing feeling to be back here. I mean before leaving, I was on the show for so long. So this is home, you know what I mean? So to be back and to support my friends and see them finally win is definitely amazing."

Shawn smiled at Suri and continued. "Yeah, I love coming and being able to support my friends and just watching the amazing dancing that comes through here."

"So who did you guys think would win? Or who did you want to win."

Shawn looked up at Derek expecting him to answer first. He shrugged trying to think of an answer. She looked at Suri. "Well, Aly is practically my sister so I was definitely rooting for her and Mark, but really it was anyone's game."

Derek nodded and continued. "Yeah, Mark is my brother so I was definitely rooting for him. But I was also kind of rooting for everyone else too because they all deserved to win this trophy, you know?"

Suri nodded. "So before I let you go, is there anything you'd like to say to the winners?"

Shawn and Derek looked at each other and then back at the camera. "Congrats Kellie and Tony!"


	2. A Million Years

**Summary: It took him a little over a year, a new dance partner, a new girlfriend, and an Emmy win to realize she was the one thing he truly wanted all along. But a year after All Stars, it seems that he waited too long and she's not waiting anymore. Based on five different songs by Charlene Kaye (because one of her songs just wasn't enough).**

**A/N: I was feeling bitter and angry and had a "screw it all" attitude about a lot of things. So I wrote this without any idea as to what I should do with it, maybe hoping it could help with some catharsis. I don't even know why I've written about this couple because this is definitely out of my comfort zone of fanfiction writing. On the upside, Charlene Kaye is always a win in my book.**

**Disclaimer: The people in this story who I really shouldn't be writing about belong to themselves. The five featured songs belong to Charlene Kaye. And if you don't know who she is, you're missing out.**

_I Dream an Ocean of relief when I see you reaching out for me  
Your fingers reaching for my fingers as the riptide gleams  
But I know it's not, not the way you feel and I  
Know I'm not what you thought you needed  
But I could swear I saw in your eyes  
More than a trick of the light  
Guess you were just one more drop into the blue_

To say she was surprised that he had called her over was an understatement. Shawn hadn't been in LA for too long but somehow everyone already knew she was there anyway. In the short time she was in LA, she didn't really see anyone consistently. Because of season 17 of Dancing With the Stars, she didn't really get to see Mark or Derek or anybody else from the show except during a quick lunch. Which is why when Derek called her at midnight that night asking her to urgently come over, she was surprised and slightly worried.

She left her apartment for his immediately as soon as he'd requested because she was that type of person. She would do anything for him, even if it meant breaking her own heart to do it. When she arrived, it seemed that all he really wanted to do was talk…which still confused her slightly.

Things started off nicely. They talked about anything and everything. It seemed as though it was just two friends who haven't seen each other in a while were just getting together to catch up. And it was fun at first. They laughed and reminisced and even watched their old dances together.

She talked about how she was busy working but none of it could compare to her second time on DWTS. He countered back saying that she was his best and favorite partner. Also that even now on the new season she still couldn't be compared to.

She wanted to ask why he really invited her over but she held her tongue. Even though she didn't say it, he knew she was thinking it. He always knew what she was thinking even if no one else did. He claimed he invited her over to personally thank you for the Emmy win. If she wasn't a badass dancer willing to do anything, he might not have won. She technically deserved 2/3 of it.

As much as she appreciated the sentiment, she knew there was more to it. After talking about the Emmys a little longer, she finally built up the courage to ask. "Derek, what's wrong?"

He sighed knowing he couldn't avoid it much longer. "It's nothing really. Nina and I have just been fighting again. I just wanted a nice conversation with someone who actually understood me."

She nodded in understanding and gave his hand a squeeze to show that no matter what she was there for him. It broke her heart though to hear him talk about it so she didn't really say anything. But she didn't have to because he kept talking. "I think we broke up though."

Shawn was a little shocked at that news. "What?" The gossip shows kept playing out their happy relationship. Hollywood kept calling them the perfect couple. And their tweets to or about each other didn't really disprove anything the gossip said. The fact that Derek stated that so nonchalantly also really surprised her.

Derek just nodded. "Yeah, I don't really remember all of the details about the fight. Something about this relationship being too slow or whatever…or maybe about me not having time for her…I don't know. And then she kept bringing up other people…comparing me to Ian…" What he didn't tell her was that her name was thrown in there a couple times as well. He would spare her that guilt that he knew she'd put on herself. "I was just so angry. I'm pretty sure I yelled that we were calling it off. And then I think something was thrown and I slammed the door."

She gripped his hand tighter. "Derek, I'm so sorry…"

He looked at her confused. "Why? It's funny because I'm pretty sure it's over and yet it doesn't hurt. I guess it didn't really matter. It's supposed to hurt when it matters, right?"

Shawn gave him a sad smile and a nod. "Yeah…it does…" She gave a dry laugh. "Kind of like how it hurt more to leave you than it did to lose the Mirror Ball trophy." She wasn't really thinking when she said that. So when she finally realized what she said, she turned away from him and quickly got up saying she needed to get a drink.

He didn't really process what she said at first but when she got up, he began to. He softly said to himself "Yeah, it did…" While she was gone, he suddenly made an astonishing realization. One that he should've made sometime during their season together…before he let her walk away.

She didn't really know how it happened or why she let it happen. All she knows is that one minute she's getting a drink of water to try and compose herself. The next, she's pushed up against the wall with Derek's lips on top of her own.

At first it felt amazing. And then it felt wrong. She tried to push him away but somehow she couldn't nor did she want to. She had wanted that for a while and she didn't know it but he wanted it too. It felt too good to pull away even for a quick breath. And then somehow the room they were in changed, clothes were forgotten, and at one point the sun rose when they were finally finished.

Shawn woke up in his arms feeling deliriously happy. And by the look on his sleeping face, he felt the same. While she lay with her head on his chest and his arm wrapped around her waist, she couldn't help but think back to last night. It had been amazing and beautiful and everything she had been hoping for. But she quickly became sad because it _wasn't _everything she was hoping for. She still wasn't his, he still wasn't hers. He and Nina had just broken up. Last night could've meant absolutely nothing. Just a way for him to let out his frustrations before he went crawling back to Nina begging for forgiveness. And that particular though scared her more ways than she cared to admit. As she got off the bed, careful not to wake Derek, she put on her bra, underwear, and the closest shirt she could find (which just so happened to be Derek's button down." She didn't even button the shirt as she made her way to the bathroom to compose herself for what she was about to do to both herself and Derek.

Derek woke up when the warmth next to him vanished. He lifted his body up a bit so that he was leaning back on the headboard. He was a little concerned until he heard the faucet running and he let out a sigh of relief. And just to be sure it wasn't all a dream, he looked at the floor to see familiar Nike clothing. _So it wasn't a dream_. He smiled at that. What happened between him and Shawn last night really happened and he couldn't have been happier.

While he was leaning against the headboard thinking of last night's events with a smile on his face, Shawn reemerged from the bathroom. He looked at her wearing his shirt opened and exposing her bra and underwear and his smile grew. "Hey…"

Shawn smiled back but Derek didn't notice how her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Hey yourself…" She slowly made her way to her side of the bed trying to think of how to bring up what she wanted to say.

When she got to her side, she sat down and was about to speak until Derek moved closer to her and pulled her to him so he was sitting right behind her. He moved all of her hair to one shoulder, slid his shirt down a bit from her, and began kissing her neck. She let herself forget what she was going to say and just sunk into what Derek was doing to her.

But he had to ruin it by speaking. "Last night was…amazing…" There were a lot of ways he could've described it. It was the best night of his life. He just didn't know how to say all of it.

Shawn stiffened and willed herself it say it. "Look, Derek…about last night…" She took a deep breath and turned around to face him. He was getting concerned now because he could see unshed tears in her eyes. "Whatever this is…whatever we are…it can't happen."

He was floored. He did not expect her to say that. He thought that after last night she'd be his. He finally realized that she was what he wanted and now she was turning away from him. "What?!"

She got off the bed and moved away from him. "We can't be together."

He got up as well and made to move closer to her but she would slowly back away from him with each step he took. "I don't understand. Why not? Is there someone else?" He couldn't understand it. Why was she turning away from him? Did he misread all of the signs that said she felt the same way?

"No, there's no one else…it's just…" She took a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. "You have no idea how long I've wanted this, Derek. But I don't want a relationship based on these circumstances." She turned away from him, stripped off his shirt and quickly began grabbing her own clothes to try and make a quick getaway.

Derek grabbed her arms and forced her to stop. "What circumstances? Shawn, please talk to me." He wanted so badly to understand. He wanted to know why she was pushing him away so he could do what he had to pull her back. But he could already see her walls building up.

Shawn pulled her arms free from him and continued pulling on clothes. He let her put her clothes back on hoping that she'd be more open to talking after she was dressed. H also began putting on his boxers and sweatpants.

When Shawn was clothed she turned to face him after taking a deep breath. She wanted…she needed…for him to understand. She put one of her hands on one side of his face and he put one of his own on top of it. They looked into each other eyes as she spoke. "I love you, Derek. I've loved you for so long now. And I've been waiting even longer for this moment."

She took a pause and as she did, Derek gave her a wide smile. He was ecstatic to know that the girl he loved, loved him right back. He leaned forward intending to give her a sweet kiss but she removed her hand from his cheek and placed her fingertips on his lips to stop him. "But I can't bear the idea that I'm catching you on the rebound. Especially since I've loved you for as long as I have."

Derek grabbed her wrist and began kissing her hand. "No…baby…I'm sorry it's taken me this long to realize it but I promise you, my breakup with Nina has _nothing _to do with how I feel about you. I love you too. I was just too blinded by everything around me to realize it." He put both of his hands on either side of her face and looked deep into her eyes so she could see the truth. He put his forehead on top of hers and continued speaking. "I love you and only you. After all this time, it was _always_ you…"

Shawn tried so hard to keep the tears at bay but one slipped through that Derek wiped with his thumb. "That may be true…but just the thought of it makes me insecure. How do I know you won't just go back to her or that this isn't just some fling? How can I trust that you know what your heart wants now?"

He held her face tighter, trying his best to express everything he was feeling so she wouldn't leave him. "Because nothing and no one has ever made me feel the way you do."

She shut her eyes tight and reluctantly put her hands over his wrists and pulled them from her face. "Oh God, I've waited so long to hear you say that…" She began shaking her head. "But maybe…I'm starting to realize you're not that gold coin, but instead some speck that tricked my eyes into thinking you could be my soulmate. I'm sorry but…I don't think my heart can take any more pain that you put me through."

Tears were finally spilling from his eyes. He felt as though she had just slapped him. He finally had her and she was walking away. All because he couldn't see that she was what he needed sooner. "Shawn…baby…_please…_"

Shawn stood up on her tiptoes and gave him one last lingering kiss before pulling away and whispering "I'm sorry." She turned and quickly ran from his room and away from him.

He stood there for a little while longer before sinking to his knees and letting out a good cry. How could he have lost the best thing to happen to him?

_Girl you've got to Woman Up  
Girl you've got to Woman Up  
Get your rainbow off the rug  
And start anew  
Girl you've got to Woman Up  
Bite the bullet not the dust  
'Cause the road to better love is losing you_

The moment Shawn got back to her apartment she fell to her knees and cried just like Derek did when she walked out. She let herself be weak and pathetic for a little while. Get the crying done now and build yourself up stronger.

She knew she broke Derek's heart. She broke hers as well. But that was just the thing. She waited too long for Derek because she had a false hope and belief that he was the one for her. But it's time to move on. She could cry in her room all she wanted but it wouldn't change anything.

As much as she knew it hurt for the both of them, it was her choice. She needed to let him go so that maybe they can both move on. Maybe she'll find the one she was actually meant to be with. Just the thought of that didn't feel right but it was what she had to do.

It was time to start over in the field of love. No more waiting around, no more letting herself get hurt. The walls are up and they're stronger than ever.

_You can't escape the feeling that rises from the root  
The sputter then the silence when two hearts run out of fuel  
We painted little pictures to escape the big  
But now the light is fading and all our love with it  
And it won't quit  
It's a long way to the end of the road  
When you wandered, were you swallowed by the valley below?  
So focus hard on every following step  
Oh 'cause forever is a long long time to guess_

Derek woke from his nightmare screaming. Ever since Shawn pushed him away, he hadn't slept a wink. It had been a couple weeks now and he felt like he was getting worse each day. He could feel heart breaking and he knew it was all his fault. The feeling of her body not next to him felt wrong. The thought of losing her before he even had her was even worse.

Nothing in his life felt like it was going right. He and Amber were still pushing through but he wasn't giving as much and it was showing. They hadn't topped the leaderboard in a while. And then Nina kept calling to apologize and get back together but he couldn't seem to get himself to talk to her.

To make matters even worse than they already were, Shawn was avoiding him. She didn't answer his calls or texts. He didn't even know where she was half of the time. She could've been in Des Moines, or LA, or anywhere else in the world and he wouldn't know unless she tweeted about it. He left her voicemails that went unanswered. He even tried asking people close to her. He just wanted to know she was okay…even if he wasn't. Maybe by knowing, this feeling of wrongness would leave him. But he knew it'd never be right until she was back in his arms. He needed to find a way to get her back.

While at DWTS rehearsal, he and Amber were taking a break on the stairs. It was quiet since both of them were on their phones. Derek had his ear buds in as he was watching videos of his and Shawn's dances thinking of ways to try and win her back. He didn't even notice that Amber was sitting on a step above his own and watching what he was watching over his shoulder.

She was concerned and curious because he hadn't been at his best and yet this was the first time she had seen a genuine smile on him. "Hey D, are you ok? You seem off."

He was startled out of his little world. "What? Yeah…I'm fine…Just looking at my past dances to get some ideas for ours is all."

She gave him a look that said she didn't believe him. "Oh really? We don't _have _the rumba this week, Der…"

He was busted. He tried to find an outlet and was about to say some bullshit excuse until someone walked in. To both of their surprises, it was Nina Dobrev. "Hey Derek."

He was shocked and confused and really didn't want to talk to her. Amber was even more confused but decided to break the ice. She walked over to Nina and stuck out her hand to shake. "Hi I'm Amber Riley, Derek's partner. You must be Nina, Derek's girlfriend…" Throughout Amber's introduction, Nina had just been nodding along.

Derek cut in quickly. "Yeah, she's not my girlfriend." He didn't mean to say it too quickly and he mentally scolded himself for doing so.

Nina's smile vanished from her face as she looked up at him. "I was hoping we could talk. Maybe go out to lunch…?"

Amber, not really knowing what the situation was behind the two, thought it was a great idea for Derek to hopefully feel better. "Yeah D, you should go."

Derek got up and started occupying himself. "No, it's ok. You two can go. I'm just gonna stay here and work on the dance. I'm behind anyway."

Derek wouldn't look at them and just continued ruffling some papers. Amber had a look of defeat knowing she wouldn't be able to sway Derek. She just let out a big sigh and faced Nina. "How about you and I go grab some lunch. Maybe we can both figure out what's eating Derek." She said the last part in a whisper so that only the two of them would hear but it didn't really matter since Derek stopped paying them any attention anyway.

Nina, knowing that she wouldn't get to Derek, thought it was a good idea. Maybe Amber knew something she didn't. "Sure, why not."

Apparently going out to lunch together wasn't exactly the best of ideas. Literally the only thing they had in common was an association to Derek. Other than that, they were just so different. Even the shows they starred in were on opposite ends of the spectrum. There was awkward silence for the most part until someone finally decided to talk. And when someone did decide to talk, it was usually about a mundane topic. The weather is nice. This café is pretty good. Filming for DWTS/Glee/Vampire Diaries/whatever is going great. Etc, etc, etc.

After a little more small talk, Nina, who was hoping that Amber knew something about Derek, finally steered conversation into that category. "So….how're you liking Derek as a dance partner?"

Amber smiled enthusiastically. "He's great. He's really tough sometimes but I should've expected it. Being on Glee doesn't exactly give me an advantage." She let out an awkward laugh which Nina reciprocated.

"You guys seem to be struggling a little." Nina was fiddling with a napkin while trying to inconspicuously get anything she could about Derek.

"Yeah, well…what can you do? Derek's a little out of it sometimes but I can't really put all the blame on him. Between you and me, sometimes I think it's mostly my fault. I mean I'm not an idiot, I've seen his most memorable dances and him at his best. It's always when he's with Shawn Johnson. I can't do what she can do. I'm no Olympic gymnast. So it's a little intimidating to know what he's capable of and know that I'm not gonna be good enough to give him that again. But like I said, what can you do? Not everyone can be Shawn Johnson…" Amber, though getting a little personal by revealing her insecurities, shrugged it off and went back to picking at her lunch.

What Amber didn't know was that she gave Nina something to think about. We can't all be Shawn Johnson.

_Who says that you can't live forever?  
Shine down your light, it's now or never  
And you said baby watch your head  
Look at the crowd, they love you now  
But come the morning you'll be left for dead_

While Amber went out with Nina, Derek called Julianne. He needed someone he could trust, someone who could help him. He wanted some sense of comfort.

After they got their food, Julianne skipped the formalities and went straight for the questions. "So Derek, why have you called me out to lunch so suddenly? I hope you're not trying to butter me up 'cause I'm guest judging."

Derek gave a light chuckle at her joke. "No sis, that's not why I called you."

Julianne smiled and leaned back in her chair expecting a long story that she knew was coming. "So what's up, Derek?"

He wouldn't look at her. Instead he picked at his food as he spoke. "Have you heard from Shawn recently?"

"Yep."

Derek looked up. He didn't expect her to have that answer. He assumed she was too busy or that Shawn was avoiding everyone associated with him. "Really?" Hope was rising too quickly in his chest.

"Uh-huh. She called me yesterday. She wanted to apologize on not coming to the show tomorrow for when I guest judge…you know, since I'm the one who invited her and all."

Derek was even more shocked to hear that Shawn wasn't coming. He was hoping to talk to her. "She's not coming?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Didn't say."

Derek leaned back in his chair and put his face in his hands groaning in frustration. Julianne was confused at her brother's actions and questions. "Der, what's going on?"

Derek put his elbows on the table and planted his face in his hands once more. "I made a huge mistake and I have no idea how to fix it."

Julianne moved her chair next to her brother's and started rubbing his back comfortingly. "What happened? Is this about the show? Are you and Nina ok? What happened?"

Derek took his face out of his hands and looked at her. "No, it has nothing to do with the show and it's not about Nina…well it's not all about Nina." He took a deep sigh and placed his face back in his hands. "It's a long story."

Julianne kept rubbing his back. "I'm here to listen."

He ended up telling her everything. His more frequent fights with Nina, his night with Shawn and the epiphany he had, and how Shawn rejected him.

By the end of his story, Julianne felt a bit guilty. Her, Derek, and Nina were all friends but she had pushed the two together thinking it was what both of them needed. Sure she had seen the chemistry between her brother and his gymnast partner but she shrugged it off thinking Derek didn't see her as anything more than a little sister. But she, like Derek, waited too long to believe that it could really be something great. "I'm so sorry, Der."

He lowered his head in defeat. "I don't know what to do, Jules."

Julianne let out a big sigh. She hated seeing her brother like this. She was going to do whatever she could to make this right. She looked back at Derek's defeated form. "Der, do you love her?"

Derek smiled a bit knowing his answer. "Of course I do. God, I'm so stupid for not realizing it sooner." He leaned back in his chair again emotionally exhausted and filled with self-hate.

"Does she love you?"

He had to think of that answer a little bit. But after thinking it over he let out another small smile. "Yeah she does. She may be denying it now but I know. She told me so herself."

Julianne made him look at her. "Then wait for her." Derek looked at her confused so she explained. "if she loves you as much as you say she does, ten she'll come back no matter how hard she tries to deny everything."

Derek looked at her with a sad expression. "But what if she was serious when she said she was moving on? What if I missed my chance already because I was too stupid to realize my love sooner? What if she doesn't love me anymore?"

"Derek those are too many what ifs. She's not gonna move on because you said so yourself, she loves you just as much as you love her. You two were known for taking chances. Why can't you take the chance for her?"

"I don't know…I'd wait forever for her but the idea of not knowing if I have a chance…that could kill me."

She looked at him sympathetically. "You know, Der, loving is all about allowing yourself to get hurt over and over again for the good of your soul. If you can't take the risk and allow yourself to get hurt, then what good is your love? Shawn waited for you so long. She let herself get hurt until she couldn't take the pain anymore. Now she's probably closing herself off. You of all people should know how hard it is to get her to open up. When she's ready, I'm sure she'll come back to you. But will you be there for her?"

Derek looked her in the eyes and julianne could see the truth behind them. I'll always be there for her."

_Somehow I know I can't be on this planet alone  
And one waits, one waits for me  
One waits, one waits for me  
One waits, one will wait for me_

Derek felt better after talking with Julianne yesterday. He even felt a little more confident in his and Amber's dance that night. As he was getting ready for the show that would start in a few hours, one of the security officers knocked on his trailer door.

"Derek, you've got a visitor here who wants to speak with you before the show starts. Should I send her in?"

Derek was a little confused. He didn't know who would be visiting him at this time. It probably wouldn't be Julianne since she wouldn't need permission and he was pretty sure Nina wasn't coming tonight. "Yeah, send them in. Thanks."

A few minutes later he heard another knock on the door. When he opened it, he was definitely surprised. "Shawn?"

She gave him a timid smile. "Hi Derek."

As unexpected as her visit was, he was beyond happy to see her. He opened the door wider so she could come in. "Come in…wow, I was hoping to see you at some point. Jules said you weren't coming to the show tonight."

She slowly entered his trailer, a little nervous and hesitant. She sat down on his couch and looked up at him. "Yeah, I wasn't gonna come…but I really needed to talk to you." He sat down next to her and grabbed her hand comfortingly. Thankfully she didn't pull away. She took a pause and deep breath but he waited for her patiently. "Umm…I had a talk with Nina yesterday."

If he wasn't surprised before, he definitely was now. He didn't say anything as he looked at her incredulously. "Yeah, we had a nice heart to heart."

Derek swallowed the lump in his throat and forced himself to speak. "Umm…what did you guys talk about?"

She gave a small smile. "A lot of things. Life, love, we even talked about you a little."

Derek was getting a little nervous. "Oh really…?"

"It wasn't anything bad. We talked about how we all need to stop fooling ourselves into thinking we know what we need. We both ended up realizing something."

He squeezed her hand a little harder in nervousness. "What did you guys realize?"

She turned her head to look him straight in the eye. "You have become such an important part of my life, Derek. And I don't want us to just be two ships passing in the night." She turned away from him and took another big breath. "Nina said that you made her feel good after her break up with Ian, but in the end she knew that you two wouldn't last. When the time is right, maybe she and Ian will get back together because he made her feel like no other…kind of like how you made me feel when we danced. She said that as much as it hurt to break up with Ian, she wouldn't give up the experience for anything."

Shawn took a pause as Derek still clutched her hand tightly. She faced him once more. "Which is why she told me I should take my chance with you."

Derek put his hand over her cheek. "I would want nothing more than a chance."

Shawn put her hand over the one Derek had over her cheek. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what this could've been…so I am willing to find out." Derek had the largest smile on his face when she said that. He immediately pulled her into a bone crushing hug, not really knowing what to say. When Shawn pulled away from the hug she looked him straight in the eye. "There is one thing, though, Derek. After being hurt for so long, I'm not sure I'm ready to open up just yet. And because of that, I don't want to promise you my heart until I know for a fact I can wholeheartedly give it to you."

He wasn't exactly sure what she was saying. He just wanted to know that he had hope. She kept speaking. "I don't want a relationship just yet. If you give me some time to heal a little, I promise I'll come back to you when I'm ready."

He was a little sad that she wasn't his just yet, but he'd wait for her because he knew she'd come back to him eventually. "I'd wait a million years to forever for you."

She smiled at his answer and gave him another hug. As he held her tightly, he placed a gentle kiss on her head just as he did when they danced together. When they pulled away, he hesitantly leaned in until he placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. When he pulled away, she was smiling and to his surprise, leaned forward and gave him a kiss on his lips to which he reciprocated.

The fireworks that they both felt the first time were back and the couple knew that the wait would be worth it…no matter how long that wait was. When they pulled away, Derek placed his forehead on hers, content to just be with her. "I love you."

She smiled up at him. "I love you too."

Despite keeping her heart closed and knowing they'd have to wait a while before they could be open with each other once more, they both knew that in the end they'd be together and that was good enough for them.

_And time's the only lonely curtain in between_


	3. I Knew It First

**Summary: Just a oneshot about Maria Menounos figuring out Shawnough before and during season 15. I personally like the friendship Maria has with both of them. If I was going to hate on someone to get in between these two it'd probably be Shannon Elizabeth. Just saying… **

**A/N – I don't know why I wrote this. I don't normally write things like this but whatever. It was a good idea at the time. Sorry it's so long.**

**I wasn't going to post it until Amie (sunshinexshadow) convinced me to. So because of that, this is dedicated to her. Hope you like it, dearie. **

After working for Extra for as long as she has, Maria Menounos had learned how to pick up on certain things when it came to interviewing people. She knew when someone was trying to hide a baby bump or engagement ring. She knew when a couple was trying to hide a new relationship or hide the divorce/break up of a dying relationship. And she definitely knew when someone had a crush on someone else…especially when that someone was a close friend of hers.

The certain someone she was referring to happened to be her ex-dance partner, Derek Hough. After competing together on Dancing With the Stars season 14, she and Derek had developed a loving bond. Not a bond of lovers like so many people insinuated, but a bond of close friendship and camaraderie. True, she didn't really approve of the over dramatic "showmance" the show asked her and Derek to do (it sparked way too many fights between her and Keven, and _that _relationship was not something she was willing to risk for a trophy) but at least it brought her and Derek a little closer. They pretty much just laughed everything off.

Anyway, after being with the same guy for over a decade and being blissfully happy, she couldn't help it if she played cupid every once in a while. She loved Keven with all her heart and that feeling she had was something everyone deserved to feel. Especially someone like Derek Hough. So when she found out that his new partner for the latest season of Dancing With the Stars was going to be non-other than Olympian Shawn Johnson, she couldn't help but jump on the idea.

When she first found out about them, she wasn't initially playing cupid. She was excited for Derek. In a quick passing, he told her how awesome it already was to work with her. And she'd seen Derek excited but never _that _excited. At first she shrugged it off. Maybe he was just excited that he had such a great partner for the All Star season. She was pretty amazing in her season and she was only 17 at the time. But after a while, Maria couldn't really shrug off the feeling that there was something _different _about Derek's excitement this time around. It took some snooping but she came to a conclusion. He liked her. A lot.

There wasn't much evidence to go on so there was nothing yet to solidify her claim. But she knew there had to be something. She did her best to find some kind of rehearsal footage of the two of them or maybe some photos but unfortunately those were not to be released yet. What sucked even more was that she couldn't be the one to interview them due to her busy schedule. But maybe she was hoping too much and overthinking something that wasn't there.

When Maria was finally ready to let the idea die, fate smiled upon her and gave her the sign she was looking for. The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie premiere. Almost all of the contestants and their pros went to it. Derek and Shawn were no exception. She watched some videos, saw some pictures, and figured it all out. There it was. The ticks she saw in others, she saw in her ex-dance partner. He would stand so close with a protective (or even possessive) arm around her or he wouldn't stand close to her at all. The signs one would give when they were trying to make it look like nothing below the surface was happening. Smart, Derek, very smart. But not smart enough.

Her years as a news correspondent definitely gave her clues to a good story. In this case, a good love story in the making. She made a mental note to confront Derek about it when they met up for the Bing event in a couple of days. But first she needed to make a very important phone call.

Bing It On Challenge, Days later

So far the Bing challenge at the Grove was going really well. There were a lot of people willing to participate in the Bing versus Google showdown and then were more than happy to get punished for wrongfully choosing Google. There were a couple of celebrities, a ton of pictures taken, and in general many good times. So much was going on, that Maria had almost forgotten about her chat with Derek. While the two of them stood next to each other for pictures, Maria made sure to mention it through her smile. "We need to talk later."

Derek was un-phased and kept smiling. He gave a subtle nod to let her know he heard her. After a couple more pictures, the two stepped away from the paparazzi and went to a secluded area to also get ready for their next event. Maria tried to casually bring up the topic as they were getting ready. "So…how's Shawn?"

Derek wasn't looking at her since he was putting a couple more cans of silly string into a box but Maria did see a hint of a smile on his face as she said Shawn's name. "She's amazing and super fun to dance with. No offense to you or anything but…yeah she's just amazing." He continued collecting items for their next event.

Maria tried to keep the conversation going. "She's pretty too." If Derek had actually turned to look at her, he might've noticed her sly smile. He also would've noticed the smirk on her face as she watched him get increasingly uncomfortable. _Strike one, Derek._

All Derek could say was "umm…yeah…I guess so…" before continuing doing work that wasn't there.

Maria wanted to laugh at the awkward little boy in front of her, but instead she kept her cool. She was going to have to if she wanted anything out of him. "Are you kidding? Not only do you have the youngest contestant, but you also have the most fit. My guess is that the only problem you're gonna have with her is reminding her that she isn't seventeen anymore."

Derek, who was finally facing her, laughed a little but agreed. "I'm sure it won't be too hard. It's not that hard to see that she's definitely a woman now." Before he even realized what he was saying, the words were already out of his mouth. What made it worse was that Maria heard it. Maria had let a giant grin slip. Thankfully, Derek didn't notice her giant smile as he was too busy trying to turn away from her to hide his blush. This only caused Maria to grin more. _Strike two._

Maria saw that Derek was trying to calculate an escape route from his awkward situation that she had put him in, so before he could get away from her, she kept talking. "You know, I've spoken to her a couple of times. She's a pretty tough cookie. I bet she would've made the Olympic team despite her knee."

Derek smiled at that. He knew her. She was tough and she was passionate. "Yeah, I have no doubt she would've made it."

Maria carefully observed him as she said her next sentence. "But if she had made the team, she probably wouldn't have been able to dance with you."

The change Maria noticed in Derek was spectacular. One minute he was happy and praising his partner. The next he was deep in thought. A sense of sadness was flashing across his face. Derek thought hard at what Maria had just said. She was right. If Shawn had made the Olympics, she would be too busy with the tour to even consider being on the show. Plus, Shawn had been telling him throughout their rehearsals that this was almost like her personal Olympics since she couldn't go to London.

If she had gone to the Olympics that year, they wouldn't be dancing together. Sure, that would mean he would probably be dancing with Maria, or Joanna, or Jennifer again. Or maybe a new partner entirely. But something didn't sit right. He somehow didn't like the idea of dancing with anyone other than Shawn. After a little more contemplating he finally spoke up in a whisper. "Yeah…I guess not…"

The sadness on his face and in his voice was enough for Maria. _Strike three, Derek. I've got you now. _Maria wanted to let out a yell of victory or do a happy dance but she kept herself composed so that Derek couldn't figure out what she was thinking. But she couldn't help it anymore. She knew the truth. It was written on his face. It was time to stop beating around the bush. "Derek, just be honest with me. I'm not asking as a gossip correspondent. I'm asking as your friend. Is there something going on? Maybe some hidden feelings?"

Derek blushed and couldn't look at her. "No, she's just my partner."

"Derek…"

He interrupted her before she could continue. "Look, she's my partner. I care about her like I do all of my partners. She's practically my little sister. There's nothing more but sibling love going on…"

He was rambling and he was nervous which was only solidifying everything Maria had believed. Despite all of this, she kept her cool. "Alright, calm down. Think what you like Derek. I know there's more to it. But if you ask my opinion as your friend, I think she'd be good for you." And with that she walked out first carrying the box of silly string, leaving Derek to contemplate what she had said.

She really did hope for the best for the two of them. Maria had gotten to know Shawn in 2009 when she interviewed her about the whole "stalker incident." Maria saw firsthand just how strong she was. She did her best to keep herself positive and not let the negativity or the scariness of the situation phase her. Shawn even showed Maria a couple of tricks on the beam and trampoline (which, if she did say so herself, she handled better than when Shawn had shown Mark the same tricks). After the cameras had stopped rolling, the two began really talking and becoming quite close by the end of it. So close that Maria actually considered her like a little sister.

Shawn was so sweet (probably the sweetest person Maria had ever met) and the idea of someone hurting Shawn really angered something in Maria. From that moment, Maria had promised her that even if they weren't together (which they weren't for the most part because of both of their schedules), Maria would protect her like a big sister should. And Maria had held onto that promise. The two of them kept in touch even if they never really saw each other. Shawn had voted for her on season 14 and Maria had used her contacts and made sure people like Extra or Access Hollywood wouldn't blow her retirement out of proportion. It was a nice friendship and Maria wouldn't trade it for anything.

But as honorary big sister, Maria felt it was her duty to make sure her little sister got all the happiness she deserved. Shawn deserved to love and be loved just like what Maria had with Keven. If Maria had to do it herself, she'd make sure that Shawn would get exactly that. The season hadn't even started yet and Maria already liked the idea of Shawn and Derek together. Not just together on the show to be the perfect couple to win the whole thing, but to actually be _together._

She started to get ready for the event. After a little while longer, she and Derek found each other taking pictures once more. To be honest, she was getting bored of it. But thankfully, she found her reason to smile.

Derek noticed her change in mood. He kept smiling at the cameras but he leaned in to whisper to her. "Why so happy?"

She kept smiling at the cameras as well. "Because the guest I invited is finally here."

The photographers had noticed the two and heard what she said. They started yelling, asking her who the special guest was. Finally, a car pulled up and out walked none other than Shawn Johnson. The paparazzi immediately went for her, calling her out. "Shawn! Shawn! Over here…!"

Before the paparazzi could run her over, body guards immediately were at her side. She was at complete ease and not fazed by the paparazzi. She had a smile and waved at the cameras.

Maria squealed a little and was about to run over to her "little sister." Before she could, Derek grabbed her arm. Thankfully the paparazzi were too busy harassing Shawn to notice them. "How…did you…?" he could barely make out words. He didn't expect his new dance partner to be there.

Maria just smiled at his stupidity. "She's my friend. I invited her." She looked at him with a "duh" look on her face. She pulled her arm from his grasp and quickly made her way to Shawn for a hug and some pictures. _This is gonna be interesting._

For the rest of the day, everything was going fine. More than fine actually. Shawn was just so much fun to be with. Not to mention, the smile on Derek's face seemed to have increased with her presence. Maria made sure to leave them alone every once in a while. And just to test her theory that not only did Derek have feelings, but so did Shawn, she made sure to abruptly separate the two of them. As she expected, the world wasn't as bright when they weren't together. Maria couldn't help but smile at it. What she was seeing between the two of them could be as great as what Maria already had. The two just needed to realize it. And if Maria had to give them that push then so be it.

When the Bing event finished, Maria, Derek, and Shawn all stayed behind to help the janitorial staff clean up. No surprise to Maria, Derek was helping Shawn in her task. They looked to be having fun, laughing with Derek occasionally threatening to spray her with leftover silly string. As much as Maria was enjoying the sight, she really needed to get Shawn's side as well. She knew what Derek felt, but she wouldn't subject him to a onesided love. "Shawn, would you mind helping me take down these banners?"

She saw a hint of sadness flicker in both of their eyes but as swiftly as she saw it, it disappeared. It practically wasn't there but Maria knew better. Shawn still gave her a smile and replied. "Yeah, no problem."

Maria made sure that Derek was too busy with the heavy lifting to see or hear what they were talking about. While they were working, the two girls made nice conversation ranging from what they've been up to, did they like the event, and when can they have a lunch date. After some more small talk, Maria finally brought up the topic of Derek. "So how's Derek been treating you in rehearsal?"

She smiled. "He's great. I was a little afraid that he'd be tough but he's actually really fun to dance with."

Maria nodded. "He is. He'll get tough but only when he feels you can put out so much more. Don't take it personally."

She giggled. "Don't worry. I may be small but I can give back as much as I take. I learned that from my WWE Diva big sis." Maria let out one of her indescribable laughs and gave Shawn a one armed hug.

"But seriously, how is he?"

"Do you mean is he treating me right?" They both laughed. "He's been great. His choreography is amazing and he knows how to get the best out of me. It's a lot different of a dynamic from Mark."

"Sounds like you guys have a pretty awesome relationship going." Maria tried really hard not to give too much away but all she wanted was to be proven right at that moment.

Shawn wasn't looking at Maria but Maria could still see a hint of a smile on Shawn. "I guess."

Maria had a knowing smile on her own face but she was tired of beating around the bush. She pulled Shawn to a secluded room and really looked at her. "I'm pretty sure you know where I'm going with this Ms. Gymnast…"

Shawn tried to feign ignorance. "What? I don't understand…"

Maria just smirked at her. "Mmhhmm. Those looks, that tone, the smile…I'm a woman in love plus a gossip correspondent. I know the signs when I see them. So Ms. Johnson…is there anything you'd like to confess to me?" She held her hands up in defense. "I promise it won't end up on Extra or Access Hollywood or anything."

Shawn just shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "Honestly Maria, there's nothing going on between the two of us. He always calls me his little sister. That's as deep as it gets. I mean he's seven years older than me. Plus you know Derek…he prefers tall, leggy, brunettes anyway."

Maria didn't like the look of defeat gracing Shawn's face. As a four time Olympic medalist and a Dancing With the Stars Champion, defeat was not something familiar to Shawn Johnson. "People change, Shawn. He deserves someone who will care about him for all the right reasons. Not someone superficial and fake."

Shawn let out a deep sigh. "Ok…even if I did like him as more than a dance partner or friend, if anyone were to find out, I don't want them to think that it's for votes or a showmance or anything."

Maria sat her down and looked her in the eye. "Shawn, I think you need to let go of these insecurities. Take the chance because I know it could be so great. And both of you deserve it. Take it from someone who was part of a showmance. There's a huge difference between what Derek and I had to do for the show and what the two of you could have if you just let yourselves."

Maria could see Shawn's many walls weaken a little. But there was also still hesitation in her eyes. "Didn't he date one of his partner's at some point? I don't want to end up like that. Plus, I know I'm a far cry from his type."

Maria let out a sigh. "Shannon just wasn't the right one. If she was it wouldn't have ended that way. He needs someone completely different. Someone like you."

The walls were coming down again. But as quickly as they were coming down, they were also being built up again. "I just…I can't…"

Shawn got up and left the room and continued cleaning a different area. Maria let out a sigh and put her head in her hands. She knew it could be tough considering both Shawn and Derek had both experienced love and heartbreak but she didn't expect it to be so difficult. _This is gonna be harder than I thought._

Later that night

After getting home from the Bing event, Maria had immediately vented to Keven and her parents about the stubbornness of her two friends.

It took a lot of convincing but Maria's mother had convinced her to let it play out on its own. She promised her mother that she wouldn't interfere anymore if it was meant to happen. And Maria _knew _it was meant to happen. You don't look at someone the way the two of them did and not expect anything to happen.

But just because she couldn't interfere anymore didn't mean she couldn't bet against Keven over when it would happen.

Dancing With the Stars All Stars week 1

At first Maria was a little upset that she wouldn't be part of the All Star season but she knew deep down she'd never survive it. Just looking at the other competitors intimidated her already. And she was a former WWE Diva! Flashbacks of broken ribs and mental breakdowns were going through her head. Not to mention heated fights with Keven about her showmance with Derek. Maria shivered at the memories.

She watched as the competitors entered. She felt a little sorry for Shawn and Derek having to be the second ones out of the gate but she knew they'd be amazing. They were amazing on their own so the two of them together could definitely win it all.

She tried really hard not to think of how amazing they could be as a couple as well but it wasn't like either of them were making it easy on her. All of the pre-show interviews had a pretty good amount of flirting. Plus the package for another thing…

"_So are you excited?"_

"_I was super excited and then I was like 'oh oh. Mark's not going to be happy…'"_

"_Well no, no. You're just divorced and I'm your new husband."_

Maria smirked at that. _Really, Derek? You wish. If only you'd listen to me._

Their dance was awesome. No surprise there. Maria immediately stood up at the end of it. They just proved how epic this season was going to be. Len was crazy for giving them a 6.5. Really?

The rest of the night was amazing but dull in comparison to Shawn and Derek. Ok so maybe she was a little biased but she had her loyalties.

Dancing With the Stars All Stars week 2

It was a little unfair that not only was she too busy to interview them herself, but it was only the second week and already she was too busy for the live shows.

On the upside though, when cute things happened between her favorite couple, she could squeal with joy in the comfort of her own home.

As she watched the show with Keven, she looked at him saying "You see, it's going to happen."

He shrugged her off. "Yeah right."

"Hey, Carrie Ann dubbed them the 'All Star Sweethearts.' That's saying something."

Keven just laughed. "Ha. Sure it does."

Other than that, Maria was glad that Shawn was able to hold her own against Derek and his constantly difficult choreography.

For the next few weeks, Maria kept looking for things that only strengthened her belief. Shawn and Derek could deny it all they want but they made it too easy. Whether it was interviews or the packages, there was always something to strengthen her belief and it was definitely more than just natural chemistry.

Watching the show, she did cringe a little at Kelly and Val. She knew the beginnings of a showmance all too well and they happened to be that couple. Thankfully it wasn't Shawn and Derek, but still. It's an all star season. Is the showmance really necessary? She tried not to think about it and instead focused on what made Shawn and Derek too obvious.

During week 3, the two weren't afraid to take risks and break rules. Shawn put complete faith and trust into Derek. She never doubted him for a second. And look what it got them. They went down in DWTS history. The best dance in 15 seasons in America and 9 in the UK. Wow. Derek was so happy that he kissed Shawn on the head and couldn't seem to stop singing her praises.

It wasn't just the energy and the excitement of the dance that made it amazing. It was the chemistry and just look of pure happiness on both of their faces. Maria had never seen Derek that happy during a dance. It was truly amazing to watch. Even in interviews he was so happy. They even revealed their little ritual in an interview. Maria couldn't hold a smirk at that.

During week 4, she no longer suspected that "just feelings" were at play. She suspected a secret relationship. Sure, everyone else was speculating Kelly and Val. But Maria knew better. People speculated Kelly and Val because the producers wanted them to. Maria was in a showmance once too. She knew what they were doing.

While watching, she brought up her suspicions with Keven who only scoffed at her thinking the ridiculous. "Oh come on, Kev. She never would have danced with that amount of sexiness or confidence back in season 8. Derek is making her feel like a woman now."

"Yes, he's helping her mature a little. That doesn't mean he's dating her."

Maria looked at him with an 'oh really' face. "She took him home to Iowa to meet her friends and family. She let him dress her in an outfit she was terrified to wear. She even admitted that she most feared him seeing her sexy side. Probably because of the feelings for him she was holding back. But tonight he made her feel like a woman and showed a part of herself that she hides away."

Keven still refused to believe it. "That doesn't mean anything."

Maria gave him a hard look. "You know…people are always telling me I look sexy. But I'd never believe them until I knew that you thought the same. I strongly believe that the reason Shawn came out with such confidence and sexiness is because she won the affections of the man she was trying to impress."

Keven looked at her with a questioning look. "And you think that man is Derek…" Maria didn't say anything but gave an enthusiastic nod. Keven sighed and continued. "Then you might not be all wrong."

Maria gave a triumphant smile.

By the time week 5 preparations were rolling around, Maria needed to know that she wasn't crazy in seeing what she was seeing. She called Mark who she also became friends with during season 14. She asked him if there was anything going on behind the scenes that she couldn't see.

Mark, despite being backstage with the couple in question, was no help. He, like Keven, didn't think there was anything out of the ordinary. The couple had been friends since season 8. They have a sibling bond which Derek always refers to. Mark was close to both of them so if a secret relationship was going on, he'd know about it.

On the phone with Mark after the results show, Maria tried to make him see sense. "Are we even watching the same thing? Something is going on between the two and it's not sibling like at all."

Mark was a little exasperated. "Maria, trust me. I know those two. They have great chemistry but they're just good friends."

Maria scoffed at him. "Yeah right. Tell me again what the theme is for next week."

"Guilty Pleasures."

"And what's Shawn's guilty pleasure?"

"Titanic." There was a pause as she let Mark add up what she was already thinking. "That doesn't mean anything…"

Maria rolled her eyes. "Mmhhmm. They're doing a tribute to one of the greatest love stories ever written. If they're not already in a relationship now, they definitely will be by the end of next week.

Mark scoffed at her. "Yeah right."

"Wanna bet?"

"You're on."

It was the Monday of guilty pleasures week. Due to the presidential debate, all of the dances were being filmed on one night but being played on different days. Because of this, Maria wouldn't be able to see Shawn and Derek's individual dance until Tuesday.

And even though Mark got voted off, he still watched as his friends danced. He was thoroughly convinced that Maria was crazy. If anything was going on between Shawn and Derek, Mark would have noticed.

He watched as the first group of individuals danced and then watched as Shawn and Derek's team performed their group dance to "Call Me Maybe." Mark had to admit, as bummed as he was that he couldn't be a part of it, he doubted Bristol would have survived the group dance. It was definitely a fun performance to watch and was filled with tons of lifts, tricks, and technique.

After the team dance, everybody was let out for a break before getting ready for Tuesday's set of dances. Mark decided to take advantage of the moment by seeking out Derek.

Mark arrived at Derek's trailer just as Derek was walking out. Mark couldn't help it. He burst out laughing at the sight of Derek. Not because he looked ridiculous, but because it was so uncanny how close in appearance he was to Leonardo DiCaprio. Derek just stood there with a smile on his face and let Mark laugh at his appearance. "Oh my God. Wow…'Sup Derek, or should I say Jack Dawson?"

Mark circled Derek to really take in his appearance. "Yup, you definitely look ready to set sail on the most failed ocean liner as you meet your true love." Mark added some dramatics as he exaggerated and teased Derek.

Derek laughed and playfully shoved him. "Yeah yeah, I get it. I know I look a lot like him. No need to remind me."

Mark just let out another chuckle. "Ok, so where's the leading lady? Can't have a Jack without a Rose."

Derek's smile widened at the mention of Shawn and it didn't go unnoticed by Mark. "She's still getting ready. After all, she is first class."

After he said that, Shawn approached them. "Hey guys."

Before she could reach Derek, Mark grabbed her in a quick hug before looking at her in costume. "Hey munchkin…lookin' good. You could give Kate Winslet a run for her money."

She looked down and blushed at his comment. "Thanks."

Mark looked back at Derek. "Can't say the same for you, mate."

Derek rolled his eyes. Shawn looked at Derek in costume and let out a giggle. "You're definitely ready to play your part as Jack."

Derek grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on it just as Jack had done in the movie. "M'lady…"

Shawn let out another giggle at that. The two barely even noticed as Mark let out an eye roll. Was Maria really on to something? Derek held out his elbow for Shawn to take. "Come my dear Rose, our ship awaits us." Shawn just giggled as she took his arm.

The two had completely forgotten about Mark. As they were walking away, Mark took a hard look at the two. The way they held onto each other, the glances they sometimes gave each other, and the gushy things they said as they walked back to the ballroom. Some people would think they were just in character, but unfortunately for Mark, he could see things differently. _I'm going to lose this bet, aren't I?_

Throughout the All Star season, Mark had been continuously surprised as well as proud of how far Shawn had come. But this moment…watching her dance the rumba with Derek…this took his breath away. She was so beautiful dancing. He could see the real Shawn Johnson. She never showed that much emotion, vulnerability, or even love when the two of them danced a rumba. Hold on…_love?_

No. No, it wasn't possible. She was playing a character. It wasn't real. Bu then again, Shawn Johnson wasn't known for acting. He tried not to think too much of it but the moment the dance ended and she hopped off of the platform into Derek's arms, he knew.

And it wasn't just her. The pride that Derek had was like nothing he'd ever seen…the way they held each other and how long they did. Plus the look on Derek's face…

Mark let out a heavy sigh and pulled out his phone.

As the studio was currently filming night two, night one of guilty pleasures week was still currently being aired for the west coasters.

As Maria watched Kelly Monaco's samba, she felt her phone vibrate and looked to see a text from Mark.

_You win._

She knew what she meant as she locked her phone and continued to watch the episode with a huge smile on her face. She was looking forward to the next day's show.

DWTS All Stars Week 6

Now that Maria had someone else who saw what she saw, it was a lot easier to get the inside scoop. Several times, Mark tried to get one of them to admit something or attempted to walk in on them in a moment.

But they were both so headstrong and determined. When it came down to rehearsals, it was exactly that: rehearsals.

Maria was a little disappointed that Mark didn't have anything good for her in the beginning of week 6. Slowly, Mark was beginning to think that there was nothing going on between Shawn and Derek. What he saw during week 5 was just because they danced to Titanic.

His doubts left him by the middle of the week. All of the guys, as Shawn's honorary big brothers, were worried for Shawn when she hurt her knee, but Derek…Derek was unbearable.

During their rehearsal for their cha cha, Mark noticed the short fuse Derek was on. It seemed that the couple would fight more often. And it was weird because the two never fought.

Mark thought that the reason Derek was so angry was because Shawn couldn't give him her best because of a stupid mistake that tampered with her knee. He had been proven wrong when he had driven to the studio to pick up Derek one day. He walked into their rehearsal room to see their stuff on the side but them not actually being there.

He assumed they were probably in one of the smaller rooms taking a break. He was about to barge in when he heard Shawn speak. "Are you still mad?"

Derek who was just staring blankly looked at her in shock. "What? Baby, no…why would you think that?"

She shrugged but didn't look at him. "I don't know. I just…I know my knee is ruining our chances…and I'm really sorry, Derek…and…"

He cut her off by putting his hands on either side of her face. "No…no babe…I'm not upset at you because it could hurt our chances." He looked her straight in the eye. "I'm upset that you won't tell me the truth about how much you're hurting." He caressed her cheeks as she began tearing a little. "I know you want to be seen as strong and powerful, I just wish that with me you'd be honest. I don't care if I need to simplify the routine a little. I just wanna know you're ok. Promise me you'll tell me the truth when it comes to your knee…"

She didn't say anything but looked him in the eye and nodded. He pulled her face closer to his and gave her a long kiss on her forehead and then pulled her into an even longer embrace.

After hearing that, Mark slowly backed away from the door and decided to give the two privacy.

As always, when the day of the show came around, they were amazing. Mark didn't even notice there was anything wrong with Shawn's solo until she complained about it later. After the show was over, Mark was pulled aside by Derek to give him some worrying news.

When Mark told Maria about what Derek had asked of him, she too was worried. She knew the pain the show could put you through plus the added stress. When the two saw the results show, they could see the pure sadness on both Shawn and Derek's faces when they made the announcement. At least now Mark could see up close where the relationship stood.

That was before Mark saw how obvious the two really were. Really they weren't, but now that Mark knew, it was all he really saw. The beginning of the week was great but how sweet they were to each other was really starting to get to him. One day he decided he'd had enough and instead would have his own fun with them.

For the rest of the week, he would mess with them. He would join them for lunch, stop Derek from dancing with Shawn even if he was fine, add some more sexiness to the dance, etc. He even made sure they were never alone for their routine icing breaks. Normally he would give them that privacy. She would have an ice pack on her knee and he would lay his neck on the ice pack.

It irritated the two of them but what really made Derek snap was when Mark would flirt with Shawn. Shawn would giggle at his silliness just as she did when the two of them were partners. Flirting with Shawn definitely made Derek's blood boil. Mark almost burst out laughing watching Derek try to contain his anger.

When Mark told Maria about it, she was happy that they felt so strongly but reprimanded Mark for getting in between them.

He just laughed and replied. "I can't help it…it's too much fun." To which she rolled her eyes and hung up on him. As annoyed as she was at Mark for getting in between them, she had to admit that it was funny watching Derek get a bit possessive when he and Mark kissed Shawn on the head.

For the rest of the coming weeks, there wasn't much else extravagantly new in the developments but watching them dance was enough. They were just so amazing together that watching them just left you feeling floored. Maria almost couldn't understand how all of their dances didn't get perfect thirties.

Maria was excited when it was the week of finals. Not only did the show offer her a front row seat but finally had time to actually watch the show live. She was so excited to finally get up close again.

When Maria got to the set, she exchanged greetings with some other famous faces of the audience. It seemed that a lot of people from the past decided to return to watch the momentous occasion. Other faces sitting in the same area as her included Kyle Massey, Joey Fatone, Romeo, Emmett Smith with his beautiful wife, and Katherine Jenkins – her fellow season 14 competitor and close friend.

She saw Mark approach them as she was talking to Katherine. With a goofy grin, he put his arms around both women and said "You ladies ready for tonight? It's gonna be epic!"

Both of them laughed at Mark's enthusiasm. Katherine spoke first. "Of course it's going to be amazing. It is the All Star season."

Maria nodded. "Definitely. The season as a whole has been amazing. It practically shadows our season. Not to mention next season will be dull in comparison."

Mark laughed at that. "Yeah probably."

After a little more small talk, Katherine decided to take her seat for the rest of the time until the show started. When it was just Maria and Mark, she gave him a look that said _what have I missed?_

Mark just rolled his eyes at her. "There's nothing to tell, Maria. I don't know any more than you do."

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah right…"

Mark raised his arms in defense. "I swear, I've been too busy to spy on them."

Maria just sighed. "Fine. Well at least tell me what dance they're re-doing."

"Can't you just wait like everyone else? It's not like you have to wait long to find out anyway."

She started poking and prodding him. "Please Mark…"

It didn't take long for him to get annoyed with her. "Alright, alright already. I heard they're doing their fusion dance again."

Maria thought that over and then her face broke into a huge smile and she started hitting Mark's arm excitedly. "Do you know what that means?!"

He kept trying to grab her writs to get her to stop hitting him. When he finally succeeded, he looked at her confused. "No, I don't see what that's supposed to mean. Just that it's their favorite dance."

Maria shot him an incredulous look and gave him a really hard slap to the arm. "Don't you get it? The fusion dance is the only one they didn't dance together. The week you tried to get between them. They want to finally be able to make this _their _dance rather than the one you substituted in."

Mark, still not really understanding what Maria was getting at, just rubbed his arm, shrugged his shoulders, and gave her a look that said _you're crazy _or _so what._

She gave him a glare and was about to slap him again. As he was raising his arms to block her attack, the crew was ushering everyone to their seats. Mark quickly moved away from Maria and took his seat making sure that Katherine was sitting between them. If Maria was already freaking out just knowing what the dance was, she'd be unbearable when the couple actually danced it.

As the show started and the crowd was going wild, the three finalists and their partners came out. Maria almost let out an audible "aww" when she saw Shawn and Derek together.

As she was clapping for them and they got closer to where they were supposed to stand, Maria noticed that the costumes they were wearing weren't for their fusion, but for their quickstep. She turned to face Mark with a confused expression on her face. He looked back at her with the same expression.

Though they were confused, they still watched the first half and it was still pretty amazing. What confused Maria even more was the fact that all three women were re-dancing their week 3 dances. Was that a coincidence? It was almost hard to believe.

When Shawn and Derek got chewed up for dancing their quickstep, both Maria and Mark were fuming. Now they were in third place. And considering how biased the scores were looking, the freestyle might not be enough to catch them up. Was the quickstep really their choice? Sure Derek took risks but…something seemed off.

After Shawn and Derek danced and received their scores, there was a small break. Maria took this time to pull aside Mark. "I thought you said they were dancing the fusion?"

Mark just shrugged, equally as confused as she was. "I thought so too. Henry told me so and he heard it straight from Derek."

Maria was contemplating what he just said. "Would Derek change a dance in the middle of a rehearsal week?"

Mark looked at her incredulously. "During finals? Hell no. There's way too much at stake to take a huge risk on the re-do dance."

Maria looked at him seriously. "Could the show be rigged?"

Mark shrugged but didn't look her in the eye. Before she could push further, the crew was letting them know the commercial was almost over and to get back into the seats.

When everyone was seated, the freestyle round began. When they say supersized freestyle, they mean it. All three performances were stunning to watch. Shawn and Derek's though was just…wow…

Maria and Katherine both let out loud gasps when Shawn was on Derek's shoulders and they fell into a somersault. The whole freestyle was full of breathtaking moments like that. And then the Fierce Five added in only made things better.

The freestyle got the thirty it deserved but because of the first round, they were still in third place. This really ticked off Maria and Mark. They didn't deserve to be last. Maria could only hope that the next day would be better.

What Maria really wanted to do was talk to both Shawn and Derek after the show ended, but unfortunately due to post performance interviews and late night instant dance rehearsals, the couple wasn't allowed time for small talk. The fierce five even had to create their own video to Shawn because they didn't have time to speak with her. And since Maria didn't go to the show as a hostess of Extra or Head of AfterBuzz TV, she didn't get the privilege of interviewing them in the interview line. It's not like that would have mattered anyway since the questions she would've asked them were personal.

Since she couldn't talk to the couple and since Mark had troupe rehearsal, Maria stayed behind to talk with one of her AfterBuzz TV hosts, Suri Serano, who just so happened to be thinking the same things Maria was…

The next night of the finale, Maria felt she was in a better mood. Shawn had a huge fanbase. Derek had a huge fanbase, The Fierce Five and Julianne all had huge fanbases. Their fans would pull through. Their fans have always pulled through. There was no way Shawn and Derek were losing tonight. Because of that, Maria decided to just relax and watch the other contestants return and perform while the finalists rehearsed.

Because Mark was dancing with Bristol, Maria's seatmate for the night was none other than Derek's sister, Julianne. Like Maria, Julianne was also sure that the fans would have pulled through. Before the show started, she and Julianne actually had an interesting conversation.

Julianne gave her a sly look. "So…Mark tells me you're playing fairy godmother to my brother?"

Maria laughed at that. "In a way…I guess you can say that." Julianne just gave a contemplating look. Maria held her hands up to stop Julianne from speaking. "Don't tell me…you think I'm wrong, there's nothing going on between the two of them, I should just stop my meddling now."

Julianne just smiled at her and giggled a little. "Actually I was going to say, I commend your efforts, I think she's the perfect girl for him, they're both totally into each other, and the whole family has been all for this for a while now."

Maria just looked at her stunned and shocked. "Wait what?!"

Julianne just laughed again and nodded. "Had I known you were playing fairy godmother sooner, I totally would've done everything I could to help because I was behind this relationship happening since I heard they were paired together. But _no…_you just had to go to Ballas first."

"What do you mean your family is all for it?"

"I saw it first and my mom and sisters didn't believe me. Dad was more hoping that it would happen than actually believing it would. I mean…have you seen his tweets about them? Anyway, they liked Shawn and thought she'd be great for Derek but doubted anything would come out of it. Then Derek decides to invite her over for Thanksgiving and…let's just say there was a lot of apologizing to me after that." Julianne smirked, obviously proud of herself.

Maria was beyond excited to know someone else was behind her as well. "So, did you get anything out of them when they spent Thanksgiving?"

Julianne let out a heavy sigh. "No. Just a lot of denial."

Maria also sighed. "Of course. How long do you think they'll keep up the charade? If there's even a relationship going…"

Julianne scoffed. "Oh there is definitely a relationship going. Did you not see that mambo or better yet, that rumba?"

Maria threw her hands up in thanks. "YES! Thank you! I knew it wasn't just me!"

Julianne laughed at that. "Yeah, well Derek is pretty private. If he wants to keep it a secret, it'll stay a secret."

Maria sighed knowing that was true. Before they could keep talking about it, the crew had them sit down and prepare for the show. The show of course was amazing. Shawn and Derek obviously got the encore because, let's face it, that was the best freestyle and Maria couldn't help but be the loudest one cheering for them. It was great to see the contestants come back and perform a little. When the couples were picking their instant dances, Jules and Maria knew that Shawn and Derek didn't want the cha cha but didn't doubt they could pull it off. But it was a bit strange to see the order of which the couples chose their dance. It also seemed strange that Melissa would get the broken ball containing a dance that she was well versed in. Maria tried hard not to think of this so called fix being real. Dance Center was always a laugh. Julianne burst out laughing when Kenny "confused" Chelsie Hightower for her.

All in all, it was pretty good. Maria and Julianne were both loving the festivities. When it was time for the instant dance round to begin, both ladies were worried for the finalists. But they shouldn't have been. Minus Shawn and Derek who got the only perfect thirty, the other two finalists were great despite bad hand placements and wrong timing. Julianne was going crazy for Shawn and Derek. So much so, that Tom actually pointed it out.

When scores were all added up, Shawn and Derek somehow still managed to be the bottom. It was absolutely insane. Julianne was fuming but Maria just kept telling herself that the fans will pull through. It was sad, but it was a relief to hear that Kelly and Val had gotten third place. Maria even let out a breath she was holding. Both her and Julianne almost let out an audible 'aww' at the sight of Derek and Shawn embracing each other before it was announced.

When it finally came time to announce the winner, Maria clutched Julianne's hand tightly. She didn't know why she was so nervous. Shawn and Derek were obviously the best of the best…but still.

Unfortunately, both girls were wrong in their predictions because the moment Tom said Melissa and Tony, their mouths just dropped. It wasn't possible, was it? Apparently it was. This was no dream. Shawn and Derek actually lost. She and Julianne of course cheered for the winners but still, Maria couldn't help but feel a bit bummed. Not only did her favorite couple not win the trophy like she had expected, but she also didn't have confirmation that they were actually together. And that was something she had been craving throughout the entire season.

When the cheering was over and everything was settling, people began scattering whether to leave the studio, begin interviewing people, or congratulating others. Julianne decided to try her luck and attempt to see other people leaving Maria in her spot contemplating what to do. There was just so many people, she'd never make it to Shawn and Derek. As tall as she was, Maria kept trying to go on her tip toes to at least see where everyone else was. She spotted them finally but before she could even move though, she was greeted by Suri Serano.

Suri was fuming. Like Maria, she was rooting for Shawn and Derek and was so sure they'd take the trophy. Suri started ranting. "Can you believe this? How does a star from the Bachelor beat out an Olympic gold medalist? I bet the fix is in. And you know what else? Some people behind the scenes thought Shawn wasn't even dancing. As though all she did was gymnastics moves…"

When Maria spotted Shawn and Derek, she blanked out a little. She saw Mark and Julianne made it to them and that they were all exchanging hugs. She then saw Mark and Julianne say something to the couple. She saw exasperation and then a sly smile grace Julianne's features. And then Julianne was motioning her head towards Maria as slightly shocked expressions were growing on Shawn and Derek's faces.

At this point, Suri realized Maria stopped listening. She began waving her hand in front of Maria's face. "Maria? Are you ok?"

Maria broke her gaze from the couple to acknowledge Suri. "Yeah…sorry…what were you saying?"

"Just that there's going to be a lot of hell on tomorrow's Afterbuzz episode. Kristyn better prepare herself because I'm coming in with a storm. I can't believe they lost!"

Maria brought her gaze back up to Shawn and Derek who were now left alone by Mark and Julianne. Their hands were intertwined and they were both smiling at her. She saw Derek give her a nod and then a wink as if he was confirming what she was thinking. And then she looked at Shawn who mouthed "thank you" to her before Derek pulled her in to kiss her on the head as they walked away to their next interview.

Maria smiled and then looked at Suri. "They didn't really lose." Maria then looked back at the couple being interviewed. She saw as they couldn't take their eyes off the other who was speaking. Maria's smile grew bigger. "They won so much more…"

Despite not winning the Mirrorball, Maria could definitely say she liked this outcome a lot better.


End file.
